Psychiatry Physician Salary (2026)

The 2024 median base salary for a Psychiatry physician in the United States is approximately $290K, with the typical 25th-to-90th-percentile band running from $255K to $360K. These figures are composite benchmarks drawn from MGMA, AAMC, and AMGA compensation surveys and reflect base compensation only — productivity bonuses, signing bonuses, call stipends, partnership distributions, and quality incentives sit on top of base and materially shift total cash compensation in every Psychiatry offer I close.

Psychiatry compensation at a glance

Median base (2024): $290K
Typical range (25th–90th): $255K – $360K
National demand: very high
Primary board: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN)
Fellowship pathways: Child & Adolescent, Addiction, Forensic, Geriatric, Consultation-Liaison
Common practice settings: inpatient psych, outpatient clinic, telehealth, community mental health, VA, correctional
Geographic concentration of top offers: all 50 states with severe shortages in rural and Medicaid-heavy markets

What drives Psychiatry compensation up or down

Telepsych comp has rewritten the floor for the whole specialty. I'm signing remote outpatient adult psychiatry at $290K-$340K base for a 32-clinical-hour week with no call. Inpatient and consult-liaison work clears $350K-$400K. Child and adolescent psychiatrists routinely win $375K-$450K offers because supply is so thin. I tell candidates the single most negotiable line in any psych offer is the no-show pay floor — a guarantee that pays your hourly rate even when patients cancel is worth more than most signing bonuses.

Psychiatry is the most undersupplied physician specialty in the United States: HRSA estimates a shortfall of more than 14,000 psychiatrists by 2030. Telehealth has dramatically expanded the recruitment market.

Psychiatry salary by state

Base ranges for Psychiatry run inside the $255K–$360K band in most states, with rural and HPSA-designated counties producing offers at or above the upper end once signing bonuses, loan repayment, and rural premiums are stacked. Click a state below for the in-state Psychiatry comp picture, anchor employers, and incentive stacking.

How recruiters benchmark a Psychiatry offer

When I scope a Psychiatry engagement, I pull MGMA and AMGA percentiles for the region, layer in the specific employer's historical comp band, and pressure-test against active Psychiatry candidates we are already working. The $255K–$360K range above is the national reference; the actual offer for a given Psychiatry role is built bottom-up from RVU model assumptions, call rotation, and ramp expectations. For Psychiatry candidates evaluating an offer, the three numbers I tell people to focus on are base, wRVU conversion factor, and call-coverage stipend — not the headline salary alone.

Talk to a Psychiatry recruiter about your number

Email hire@physicianrecruitment.com or call 1-888-812-3452 for a 30-minute confidential Psychiatry compensation benchmarking call. We provide Psychiatry candidates a written market analysis of any offer at no cost.